...most computer nuts (well, at least those in my Back Tracker novels), not realizing they are more clever than comedic, have proceeded to concoct weird words and terms that we will be stuck with forever
...Computerese (according to thefreedictionary.com) is the language used by those in the business of manufacturing, selling, servicing, or using electronic computers, characterized by many abbreviations and acronyms, excessive use of technical jargon, and, frequently, lack of concern for traditional spelling and grammar
...Computerese has few set rules. RAM (random access memory) is pronounced “ram” while DRAM (dynamic random access memory) is pronounced "dee-ram". CPU (central processing unit) is pronounced letter by letter.
...VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is pronounced as a word and is not to be confused with FOIP, which is Canada’s Freedom of Information and Privacy legislation. VOIP technology lets you use your computer as a telephone and avoid long distance charges. [Computer geeks (at least those in my Back Tracker novels) love figuring out ways to screw the system and love saving money.]
...Perhaps because traditionally, capitalization of text on computers has the nasty connotation of someone yelling, some computer geeks don’t like the all-cap acronyms. According to http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/comptese.html “Inevitably, a linguistic area this rambunctious has given rise to three or even four versions of the same acronym-for instance, Teraflops, teraFLOPS, teraflops and teraFlops ( from tera, trillion, plus FLoating-point OPerations per Second)”
...Skype (pronounced /skaɪp/) is a software application that allows users to make voice, video (if you have a webcam), and text calls over the Internet. You can also share computer files this way. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype “Origin of the name: One of the initial names for the project was "Sky peer-to-peer", which was then abbreviated to "Skyper". However, some of the domain names associated with "Skyper" were already taken. Dropping the final "r" left the current title "Skype", for which domain names were available.”
...in keeping with computer geek tradition, Skype software is free and there are no fees associated with using it. [Computer geeks (at least those in my Back Tracker novels) enjoy providing everyone in the world the opportunity to screw the system and save money.]
For more info on the computer geeks in my Back Tracker novels: http://www.eileenschuh.com/back-tracker-series/
Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 8:17PM 
